Electroplating machine



No'v. 18, 1930. c. s. MILLER ELECTROPLATING MACHINE 5- Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec.

9 f- M ff @aja Nov. 18, 1930,V c. s. MILLER 1,731,791

ELECTROPLATING MACHINE FiledDOG. 22, 1928 5 ShBOtS--Shet 2 Mag-YW. f @51 c. G. MILLER l 1,781,791

ELECTROPLATING MACHINE Nov. 18, 1930.

. Filed Deo. 22, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 nl lllllllllllllllllllll 2 l ff* 9,@

Nov. 18, 1930. c. G. MILLER ELECTROPLATING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec.

Nov. 18, 1930. c. G. MILLER` 1,781,791

ELECTROPLATING MACHINE Filed ned. 22. 192s 5 sneets-snet 5 Patented Nov. 18, 1930 PATENT oF-Flcl-i CONSTAN'IINE G. MILLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ELECTBQPLATING IMIAC'IIEIINI?.

Application nica y:member 22, 192s. serial no. 328,031.

This invention relates to electro-plating machines, and particularl to automatic means for progressively su jecting articles to a series of cleaning and plating opera- 8 tions.

The main objects of this invention are to provide improved means for moving articles throu h plating baths at a required rate of speed or subjecting them to operations 10 of predetermined duration, and for'lifting them out of one bath and placing them into another at a faster rate of speed. to avoid drying of the solution on the articles while they are ex osed to the air; to provide an improve arrangement of horizontal conveying members and work transferring means and a common driving 'means for the same; to

provide Van improved 'construction of work carriers having arms of different lengths for creating a moment to urgethe carriers firmly against a copper conductor plate, and to provide an im roved means for alternatively connecting t e carriers 'to the horizontal and vertical endless conveyor.

Further objects of this invention are to provide a full automatic, electro-plating machine, for progressively passing articles throughY a series of plating baths which is suliciently exibleto be readily adapted for handling articles of different sizes without requiring replacement of expensive parts, to

provide an improved construction and arrangement which will permit substantially the same general parts to be provided in machines for handling articles of various sizes, and to provide a machine of the class described which requires aminimum amount of Hoor space.

The objects of the present invention are in general accomplished by the employment of an endless traveling chain which is located in a horizontal plane for moving the articles through a series of diierent baths. A plurality' of vertical conveying chains are roassociated with each of the vertical traveling` vided for transferring articles from one ath chains respectively, and connected to a driving sprocket supporting the horizontal chain. The driving connection between the sprocket which actuates the horizontal traveling chain and the common driving shaft is through a worm which reduces the speed of movement of the horizontal traveling chain sufficiently to give the vertical chains time to pick article carriers from the horizontal chain, lift them and the articles thereon from one bath, lower them into another bath and deposit them on a bus bar in advance of that portion of the traveling chain' from which they werelifted.

The horizontal traveling chain is supported between the sprocket wheels upon which it is mounted, by a track comprisingI channel or trough-shaped members. These channel members are provided with contact plates or strips of copper for receiving current from 7o the article carriers.

The carriers are provided with an attachment member or shoe for alternatively connecting them to the horizontal and vertical traveling chains respectively. These shoes slide upon the edges of the copper contact plates or bus barson the sides of the track and are provided with va groove for receiving an attachment on the vertical traveling chains when the horizontal'chains bring the 80 carriers into registration with the attachment. A slot is formed in the shoes for receiving a in on the horizontal traveling chain. A ange or lug on each shoe having an inclined vsurface serves to guide the carriers into a proper position relative to the contact bus bars when the vertical traveling chai-ns deposit them thereon, and also helps to retain a copper strip on the inner side of the carrier in contact with the side of the copper strip on the outside of the channels.

The articles to be plated are held by oppositely extendin arms, the outer arm belng longer than t e inner arm, so as to create a moment for urging the side of the carrier having the copper bus bar thereon against the copper plate of the channel member when articles of the same weight are carried by the arms. This arrangementV serves to effectively stop the work supports inafter set forth.

and articles carried thereon from swinging during the transfer from tank to tank an thus overcomes this common diilculty.

In the accompanyin drawings I have illustrated a specific em odiment of my invention, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a plating machine.

Fig. 2` is a top Fig. 3 is an en end. p

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of the trough-shaped track showing a conveyor therein.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a ragmentary detail of a driving sprocket and a horizontal conveyor mem- Fi 7 is a fra mentary section taken on the line 7-7 of ig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section of a troughsha edV track showing a conveyor therein an a carrier mounted thereon.

Fig. 9 is a perspective detail of a carrier shoe.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevation showing a carrier in a changed position.

In the form shown in the drawin s, a plating machine comprising spaced en columns 1 and 2, and an intermediate top frame 3 extending therebetween is provided with a 1an thereof. elevation at the driving l continuous track 4 com risin channelsha ed members located below the top frame an supported thereby on the vertical angle members 4.

Sprockets 5 and 6 are mounted within the framework of theN columns 1 and 2 respectively on vertical shafts 7 and 8 respectively. The track 4 extends around the outer peripheries of both of the sprockets 5 and 6 and a conveying. chain 9 extends around both of the sprockets 5 and 6 and as shown in Fig. 8, is confined within the channel-shaped track 4. l

The chain 9 is provided with a plurality of rollers or castors 10 which rest upon the ttom of the track and which may be suitably positioned on the chain for supporting the same. Each link is provided with a socket for removably supporting a pin 11. The pins 11 may be arranged'in any sequence on the chain 9 as, lfor example, on .every third link as shown in the drawing, and they may be altered in position as required in ada ting the chain 9 for moving articles at a di erent speed or through different distance as heretheir inner ends with beveled vgears 18. All

of the sprocket wheels 12, 13, 14 and 15 are located in substantially the same vertical plane and the chain thereon is therefore adapted to lift articles up and lower them in the manner hereinafter set forth. Any desired number of chains 16 may be provided along both sides of the track 4 by equippin the machine with a suitabley number o sprocket wheels.

The horizontal conveyor chai-n 9 and the vertical conveying chains 16 are driven in synchronism with each other by a motor 17 mounted on the to of the column 1. The motor 17 is operative y connected b a chain 18 to a shaft 19 upon which a ul ey wheel 20 is rigidly mounted. The pu ley wheel 20 is operatively connected by a belt 21 to a shaft 22, which 1n turn is connected to a main shaft 23, extending longitudinally of the center of the machine at the top thereof, by a chain 24. The main shaft 23 is provided with spaced beveled pinions 25 which mesh with the beveled gears 18 of each set of sprocket wheels which support the vertical conveying chains. All the vert-ical conveying chains may be driven in unison at the same s eed or at different speeds by employing vel `gears of different sizes to maintain the synchronism of the horizontal and vertical chains when the distances between pick-up and set-down positions of the vertical chains are different. As all the bevel gears 18 of the driving sprockets 12 of one side of the machine are on the same side of the pinion 25, and the beveled gears 18 of the driving sprockets 12 of the opposite side of the machine are on the other side of the pinion 25, it should be understood that the conveyor chains 16 of opposite sides of the machine travel in op osite directions.

A gear 26 on the main s aft 23 meshes with a gear 27 onl a shaft 28 which carries a worm confined in a housing 29. This worin drives a worm gear on the vertical shaft 30. The vertical'shaft 30 is rovided with a pinion l31 which meshes wit a gear 32 on thevertical shaft 7 of the sprocket 5. The sprocket 5 is driven by the main shaft 23 through the above chain of gears and by reason of the worm drive, moves the horizontal conveyor chain'9 at a slower rate of speed than the movement of the vertical chain 16. The shaft 8 of the sprocket 6 is carried by an adjustable bearing member 33 which may be adjusted in position by the nuts 34 on the threaded member 35 to produce the proper amount of tension in the horizontal conveying member 9.

. Article carriers .for moving articles to be plated through a series of cleaning and plating baths are provided comprising angle irons 36 and arms 37 and 38, the outer arm 37 being longer than the innerarm 38. A stri of copper 39 is attached to the Vinner sides o the angle irons 36, for effecting an electrical conizo nection between the articles being plated, and

copper contact plates 40 and 41 rigidly atand 38 ofeach carrier.

tached to the sides of the channel-shaped tracks 4. These carriers comprise a head member or shoe 42 preferably consisting of brass. Each shoe is provided with a slot 43.1 for receiving one of the pins 11 of the horizontal conveying chain 9, a groove43 formed in an angle-shaped housing 44 on the inner` end of the shoe and a lug'46extending downvwardly from the bottom. plate 47 thereof. The bottom plate 47 rests upon the upper edges of the contact bus bars and 41 and the shoe together with the carrier is moved horizontally along the track by the conveying member 9. An attachment 48 is 'positioned on each of the vertical conveyingchains 16, so as to register with the groove 43 when the shoe 42 reaches a position adjacent the upwardly moving side of said chain.

When the plating machine is in operation, an attendant standing at either end thereof, for example the end comprising the column 1, places articles to be plated on the arms 37 As the arm 37 is longer than the arm 38, a moment is created which tends to urge the angle irons 36 of the carrier inwardly and firmly holds the copper strips 39 in engagement with the contact strip 40 on the track 4. An article carrier may be mounted on each pin 1-1 ofthe horizontal conveying chain 4 -or on alternate pins if desired.

The conveyor chainv 9 is driven in the direction of the arrow 50, thus moving the carriers shown in Fig. 1 to the right. Any desired number of plating, cleaning 'orrinsing baths may be provided in receptacles such as tank 51 positioned below the intermediate .frame 3 of the machine and the articles to be and when an attachment 48 thereon engagesl in the groove 43 of a carrier shoe 42, the latter is lifted oil' of pin 11 of the chain 9.

- The pin from which a particular carrier has been removed continues to move along to the right and the carrier, together With the articles thereon is lifted by the chain 16, moved horizontally from one side of the locus of the chain to the other side of said locus and is then lowered and placed on the bus bars 40 and 41 and over a pin 11 of the chain 9 located in advance of the pin from which it was previously lifted, it being understood that the chain 16 moves at a greater speed than the chain 9, thus permitting proper placement of the carrier relative to the chain 9. In this manner the articles are lifted vertically from one tank, rapidly moved to a position above the next adjacent tank, so as to avoid drying of the plating or cleaning solution thereof, and deposited in the latter tank.

sition' relative to the contact strip 40 when the carrier is placed thereon and prevent end- Wise movement of the carrier. The hori- 1 zontal chain'9 continuesto moveto the .right as viewed in Fig. vl, until shoe 42 registers with an attachment48 of another vertical The carriers proceed, around the entire course -of the track 4, movin from left to right on the side of the mac ine shown in Fig. 1, and from right to lefton the opposite side of the machine, until they return to their starting position, where they may be' detached from the arms 37 and 38 by the same attendant, who places other articles thereon to be plated.

In the construction of the above described platin machine, it is possible to predetermine le lift effected by the chains 16 to correspond with the length of the articles to be plated without requiring changes in the` In this event, y

The dimensions of the slots 43 of theshoes 42 exceed the diameter of the pins 11 suiciently to permit placement of the shoes on the latter when the synchronism of the horizontal and verticalconveying members is varied by stretching of the chains and the spread of the gable-shaped portions 44 of the shoes allows the carriers to be properly lifted when the timing of the movements ofthe vertical and horizontal conveying members is varied in the above manner.

Although but one speciiic embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departin from the spirit' of this invention as define ,by the following claims.

1. In a plating vmachine, a supporting structure comprising spaced end columns and an intermediate structure, a continuous loop shaped trough extendin between said columns and located in a su stantially horizon! tal plane, an endless conveyor movably mounted in said trough comprising spaced upright pins, article carriers removably supported on said trough, each comprising a shoe 'having a slot therein for receiving one rollers for engaging a groove in the shoes of v said carriers to intermittently lift the carriers from said longitudinal conveyor and replace them thereon in advanced position foracilitating the transfer of articles from one plating tank to another.

2. In a plating machine, a supporting struc ture comprising spaced end columns and an -intermediate structure, a continuous loop shaped trough extending between said columns and located in a substantially horizontal plane, an endless conveyor movably mounted in said trough comprising spaced upright pins, article carriers removably supported on said trough, each comprising a shoe having a slot therein for receiving one of said upright pins, spaced endless vertical traveling members mounted on said intermediate structure comprising projecting attachments for engagin a groove in the shoes of said carriers to intermittently lift the carriers from said longitudinal conveyorand replace them thereon in advanced position for facilitating the transfer of articles from` one plating tank to another, and a common driving means for driving said horizontal and said vertical traveling members in synchronism with each other, for electing replacement of the shoe member of said carriers onpins in advance of the pins from which they were lifted.

3. In a plating machine, a frame comprising a loop-shaped trough, contact strips on the sides of said trough, an endless conveyor movably mounted in said trough comprising upright pins, article carries comprising a shoe member slidably'mounted`V on said contact strips having a slot therein for receiving one of said pins, means mounted on said frame for Vintermittently lifting said carriers from said conveyor and raising the same to transfer articles thereon from one plating tank to another, and lugs on said shoe members for facilitating replacement thereof on said contact members and for holding the sides of said carriers in engagement therewith.

said track, and arms in the lower ends of said v carriers for attaching articles thereto, the outermost arm of Vsaid carrier being longer than the innermost arm thereof for creating a moment to urge the side of said carrier against one of sald contact plates.

5. A plating machine comprising a'supporting structure, a track on said supporting st-ructure com rising a channel-shaped member, contact p ateson the sides of said track, a carrierslidably mounted on said track comprising a transverse shoe extending across said track and resting upon said contact plates, and a lug on said shoe for enga 'ng the inner ,side of one of said contact paltes for preventing sidewise movement of said carrier relative to said track and for facilitating placement of said shoe on said contact plates in a predetermined position.

6. A plating machine comprising a supporting structure, horizontal and vertical conveying members on said structure, a track mounted on said structure comprising contact plates, a carrier comprising a shoe suspended from said track, said shoe being slidably mounted on the edgesof said plates andbelng provided with 'a slot and a groove for facilitating attachment of said carrier to said horizontal and vertical conveying membrs respectively, contact strips on the inner side of said carriers for engaging a contact plate of said track, and supporting arms on said carriers, the outer supporting arm being longer than the inner arm for frictionally engaging said contact plate and the contact strip of said carrier to prevent Swingin thereof when it is transferred from said horizontal to said vertical conveying member.

7. In a platin machine a frame comprising a track, a orizontal conveying chain mounted on said frame in close proximity to said track comprising links having sockets therein, vertical conveying chains mounted on said frame each comprising an attachment member, driving means on said frame operatively connected with said vertical and horizontal chains, article carriers slidably supported on said track, and pins removably mounted in the sockets of said horizontal chain links for intermittently moving said carriers alon said track and adapted to be suitably positioned for various relative speeds of said vertical and horizontal chains for moving said carriers into registration with the attachment members of said vertical l chains to etl'ect intermittent transfer thereof to said vertical chain.

`Signed at Chicago this 19th dav of December, 1928.

CONSTANTINE G. MILLER. 

